Council opposes plans for four homes in the grounds of hall
FOUR homes planned for the grounds of a grade II-listed hall in Burbage would spoil the site, a parish council has warned.
Burbage Parish Council discussed the proposal for a complex of detached, four-bedroom homes at Burbage Hall, off Aston Lane, and resolved to object to the scheme.
Concerns were raised over the loss of trees and shrubs that would be involved in the development, although it was said this could be mitigated by more retention and replanting of greenery to screen and isolate the new dwellings.
Documents filed with the application, made in the name of Rich Chapman, of Apricot CPS Ltd, said the houses were designed to “enhance the presence of the hall”.
One of the properties would resemble a gatehouse, with a pyramidal dovecote.
The council said in minutes for the planning meeting where the project was discussed: “It was felt the proposal would have a detrimental impact on the quiet rural character of Aston Lane leading onto the ancient rural trackway.
“In view of the application site being a valuable listed heritage asset within the Burbage Conservation Area, members felt that the landscape setting of the hall would be detrimentally affected by the construction of new housing within its grounds and would permanently change the character of the grounds and the immediate surrounding area, and would be out of keeping with the conservation area street scene.”
The application documents said: “These development proposals aim to enhance the presence of the hall, preserve the hall’s historical importance, make it relevant to the urban growth that has enveloped it over recent centuries and make the site sustainable for generations to come.”
The proposed buildings would be one and two-storeys high, lower than the hall’s three floors, and the dwellings would also be lower in the ground and follow the contours downhill as they get further away from the hall.
Councillors were also concerned the height of three of the homes would result in a loss of privacy and amenity value for properties on DeLa-Bere Crescent.
There were also worries about one of the properties being close to a medieval pond and the potential environmental impact this could have.
A heritage impact assessment filed with the plans said the hall is “bounded by a high brick wall which divides it from the lane and creates a strong sense of enclosure”.
It said: “There is no evidence that the site has been developed in the past. The available map evidence suggests that the site has been in use as a garden since at least the 18th century. Such land use would suggest a relatively low level of disturbance which would only be expected to affect the upper layers of soil.
“Against this is the possibility that tree roots may have caused significant disturbance to parts of the site.
“There is low to moderate potential for prehistoric, Roman, AngloSaxon and medieval archaeological deposits to be discovered within the proposed development area during any ground-works on the site.”
The councillors decided to talk to Hinckley and Bosworth Borough Council planning committee to request a site visit.